Pivotally mounted fifth wheel plate



Dec. 8, 1953 J. P. K. FONTAlNE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FIFTH WHEEL PLATE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 9, 1951 Dec. 8, 1953 I J.VP. K. FONTAINE I 6PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FIFTH WHEEL PLATE Filed June 9, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. JO/ Al 2K. fowrfllxve BY; V.

Patented .Dec. 8, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l 2,661,960'PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FiF 'rH WHEEL PLAT John P. K. Fontaine, Birmingham,Ala; i R Application June 9, 1951, Serial No. 230,7 7 1 My inventionrelates toapparatus for coupling a trailer to a tractor and has for anobject the provision of such apparatus embodying improved means forsupporting the apparatus for pivotal movement relative to the vehicle onwhich thesame is mounted.

Heretofore in the art to which my invention relates, the fifth wheelplate and its associated mechanism has been supported by means ofrelatively short brackets and a cross shaft or stub shafts passingtherethrough and fitting at the ends in brackets mounted on the tractor.In many prior art constructions the supporting shaft has been welded tothe bracket carried by the fifth wheel plate with the result that theends of the shaft have been free to rock in the shaft bearings of thebrackets mounted on the tractor. In all prior apparatus so far as I amaware the bearing area for the shaft in both sets of brackets has beenso small that excessive wear occurred on the brackets which rotatedrelative to the shaft; This deficiency hasresulted in short life for thebearings and'the brackets, the de-- velopment of looseness in thecoupling and thus the necessity of frequent and expensive repairs to theapparatus. 1 V

In view of the foregoing the principal object of my invention is tominimize the above difficulties by the provision of an elongated bearingon the I fifth wheel plate extending completely across the apparatus,between the brackets carried by the tractor, the shaft being securednon-rotatably in the tractor brackets, together with grease seals at theends of the bearing effective to retain a supply of grease therein,around the shaft.

A further object is to provide towing apparatus of the characterdesignated which shall be simple of construction, economical and whichshall have long, trouble free life.

Apparatus embodying the features of my invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. 1 is a View looking at the underside of towing apparatus embodyingmy invention;

2 is a detail sectonal view taken generally along line fl-II of Fig. land with the apparatus turned over so that Fig. 2 shows the same inupright, operating position;

Fig. 3 is a view taken generally along line of III-III of Fig. l andalso showing the apparatus in operative position and mounted on thesupporting brackets, in turn carried by the tractor; and,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectonal view through one of the supportingbrackets on the 2 Claims. (o 230-438) scription thereof proceeds,howevenit will be ap parent that my invention may be associated withtractor and the adjacent end of theelongated bearing.

Referring nowto the drawings for a better understanding of my invention,I show the same inassociation with a trailer coupling of the type shown,described and claimed. in Patent No. 2,456,826, issued on December 21,1948, to Arnoldus S. Brumby and myself. As the dea large numbernofdifferent types of coupling apparatus of the general type exemplified bythe above identified patent.

The coupling comprises a fifth wheel plate iii.

, reinforcing flanges [3 around itsouter periphery. Also, the edges ofthe opening are reinforced by flanges I 4 which depend below the levelof the plate In. The. flanges/Id extend around the entire'periphery ofthe opening iland'are joined. across their lower edges by a plate. l9.

The apparatus is provided with a suitable form of means for locking theking pin in place in the slot. In the drawings, this element isindicatedas a member it which may be moved manually to unlockingposition by means of a lever l1. Springs [8 serve to bias the memberinto locking position.

Secured to the underside of the plate Ill as by welding are brackets 2!and 22. These brackets may be in the shape of angles with the legs 2Ia.and 22a thereof turned outwardly. Passing through the vertical legs ofthe brackets 21 and 22 and welded thereto is a length of tubing 23. Theends of the tubing 23 project past the ends of the legs 2 la and 22a ofthe angles.

Mounted on a portion of the tractor frame structure indicated generallyand diagrammatically by the numeral 2d are brackets 26 and 21'. Thesebrackets may be secured to a mounting plate by means of bolts 28 in turnsecured to the tractor frame. The brackets 25 and 21 are provided withinwardly directed socket portions 26a and 21a, respectively. Passingthrough the tube 23 and with its ends projecting into the sockets 25aand 21a is a length of shaft 29. The shaft may be held against rotationand shifting in the brackets 26 and 2'! by means of bolts 31 and 32.

The shaft 29 holds the ends of the tube 23 in axial alignment with thesocket portions of the brackets 26 and 21. Securedto the ends of thesocket portions 26a and 27a are grease seal units 33 and 34. The units33 and 34 may be provided with annular sealing gaskets 36 and 31 offlexible material which fit closely about the projecting ends of thetube 23. A supply of lubricant may be forced into the tube 23 throughgrease fittings 38 and 39, thereby to lubricate the relatively movingshaft 29 and tube 23.

In order to eliminate the deflection of tube 23 and shaft 29 I maysecure the tube 23 adjacent its center to the plate -19 as by weldingthe same thereto as indicated at 4 I.

From the foregoing the method of construct.- ing my improved towingapparatus and the ad.-

vantages thereof may now be readily explained and understood. It will beseen that the long tube 23 with the shaft mounted tberein proyides ahearing which is substantially as "long as the width of the entireapparatus. Since the bolts 3| and 32 hold the shaft 29 against rotation,the relat ve ro at o o th parts oc ur between the shaft 29 and the longtube bearing 23. By means I h ve rea l re uce t e unit o the b ar n sand ha e assu ed 9 1s. trouble f ee i e fo this ar o t e appara us- Bymaintain: n a s pply 01: ubr ean in t e tube 2. nd by pr ventine'the laka e the eo a d gsess of d rt er nt y mean of theis al 33 a d 34 myimproved apparatus has unusually l n lifeur e m e, w en i i necessary torep a e th tube 23 it is quite easy to ,cut the welds joining the ame tb a kets 21 a d 22 a d plate 19 and insert a new length of tube 23.

From the for goin t w be a parent that I a e d vi ed m o ed towing apprat for onn cting a trail r o a ra to and one which I have minimizedlooseness due to wear ,of the parts, The apparatus is extremely s p of.

manufa u e and ends its lf eadi y t mas P 1 duetion methods o fabricaton- While I have shown my invention but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in'the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof vari: ous changes and modifications without depart..- ing from thespirit thereof, and, I desire there-. fore, that only suchlimitations's'hall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth inthe appended claims.

What I claim is: v

1. The combination with towing apparatus for connecting a trailer to atractor embodying a fifth wheel plate, of laterally spaced bracketsdepending from the underside of the fifth Wheel plate near the sidesthereof, a continuous length of tube secured in the brackets and withthe ends thereof projecting outwardly of the brackets, a dependingportion on the fifth Wheel plate intermediate the ends .of the (tube towhich the tube is secured, other brackets fixedly mounted on the tractorhaving socket portions disposed adjacent the ends of and in axialalignment with the tube,

;a shaft ,rotatably mounted in the tube and with its ends projectinginto the sockets, and means securing the shaft non-rotatably in thesockets.

, brackets depending from the plate, a continuous ing and secured to theadjacent ends of the tube and sockets, and rin of flexible material inthe sleeves surrounding the tube with a grease retaining fit.

JOHN P. K. FONTAIN'E.

Re er nce Cited in the file of this patent U ITED TA ES TE Number NameDate 1,380,490 Masury June '7, 1921 1,927,891 Greer Sept. 26, 19332,289,079 Seyferth July '7, 1942 2,306,459 Mennen Dec. 29, 19422,372,943 'Fontaine et a1 1- Apr, 3, 1945 2,518,338 Lampe Aug. 8, 19502,553,959 Cook .et a1. May 22, 1951 2,619,069 Ketel Sept. 9, 19522,615,763 Wolford Oct. 28, 1952 t No.1

